Always
by shannyfish
Summary: Clark gets overprotective of his cousin (on a super powered level), which ends up risking more than his relationship with Kara…but could possibly take away the one person in the world that she needs. Summer of Supergirl prompt: Favorite Female Friendships - You've Got A Friend In Me.


When she was opened her eyes, she found that she wasn't where she remembered she was last. She was back in the DEO and she was under their simulated sunlight lamp on a metal table. Groaning, Kara reached up to her head and wished the pounding away. "Alex?" she whispered as she started to push herself up into a sitting position.

"Hey, hey…" a voice worriedly said as hands pushed her back. "Lay back down."

Blinking, she was confused to see just her cousin standing there. Looking around, she was concerned not to see J'onn or Alex. Normally, Alex was always there when she woke. Suddenly, she had so many questions of what had happened. Obviously she didn't know everything that had happened because she'd passed out at some point...she just didn't remember exactly why that had happened.

"I thought that I'd lost you," Clark whispered.

There was worry all over his face, but there was also anger in his eyes. Inside, Kara was panicking. Things weren't right. Her gut twisted and as she swallowed down her breath, she drew a new one, and then pushed for what she needed. "What happened? Where's Alex and J'onn?"

He didn't want to answer, that was clear on his face. His stance was tense and he looked away. "I told J'onn that it was too dangerous to keep Kryptonite here...to use it…" When Clark looked back at her, it chilled her. "He claims to keep it to help, but it hurt you...you could have _died_!"

" _Alex_ ," she breathed suddenly. Kara remembered that they hadn't been able to take down Metallo, so J'onn had told them to back off because Alex was being deployed with the Kryptonite exosuit. There was no way she was laying back down, instead Kara got to her feet and then immediately regretted it. She hurt all over. Then she remembered why, she'd been trying to tell her cousin that they had to back off...and he hadn't wanted to listen. Kara didn't know if it was because he was too focused or just because he didn't want the DEO's help. The thing was, Alex wasn't the only one who had brought in the Kryptonite, the DEO agents had also brought in artillery and she remembered Clark becoming quite enraged and she'd ended up being hit by friendly fire. "Where is she?! Is she okay?" she asked, holding onto the table for support. Right now, she didn't care. She'd healed. There obviously wasn't Kryptonite inside of her currently or else she wouldn't have been able to get to her feet.

"I don't know."

" _You don't know_?" she asked slowly and confused. How could he not know? Unless… A gasp escaped her as the hard reality hit her of what had to have happened. "You _left_? You left _them_?"

"You said we had to get back!" he snapped at her. Clark's face and voice immediately softened. "I thought you were going to die, Kara…" His voice dropped to a sad whisper. "I couldn't lose you."

"But you _left_ them!" Kara exclaimed.

"They can take care of themselves, Kara!"

"What if they _needed_ us?!" she argued. She felt physically ill. "They're my _family_ , Clark!"

" _I'm_ your family!"

She just stared at him for a long moment. Kara couldn't believe he was saying that. "Family isn't defined by a last name or by blood," Kara whispered. Her heart was still breaking for what Clark did and what he'd said. "It's a commitment...it's love," she breathed as tears fell down her cheeks. She absolutely loved Clark, they shared blood...and so much more. He was her family, always...but he hadn't been with her while she grew up on Earth. "It means showing up when they need it the most...having each other's back," she said, which killed her all the more. "It means choosing to love each other even on the days we don't like each other...and it means never giving up."

"Kara-"

"Alex has been with me nearly _every_ day of my life since I came to Earth...since you _left_ me with the Danvers," Kara told him. She gritted her teeth together, her fingers curling up into fists, and all she could do was force herself to think about Alex...what she needed to do to get her sister back. " _She_ is my _family_. _Always_. J'onn has been looking out for _both_ Alex and I, and I don't _care_ if you two have issues... _he's_ my family too." She glared at him for a moment. "I thought you were better than this…"

* * *

With her earpiece in and a briefing in progress, Kara flew as fast as she could in the direction that Clark had left Alex and her team. Vasquez had already told her that Metallo wasn't on any of the cameras and that J'onn had left as soon as Clark had returned with _just_ her...and when they couldn't get anyone from Alex's team to respond.

"Vasquez? Anything?"

"I have eyes on the director, Ma'am," Vasquez said. "He's been searching the area."

"Do you have eyes on Alex or her team?"

"It looks like the director has found Adler and Harewood," Vasquez said. "I have no eyes on Agent Danvers yet though."

"Keep me updated, Vasquez," Kara said.

* * *

When she touched down at the last place she'd been, she found J'onn there searching the rubble. Kara realized she didn't remember it being that torn up when she'd first been there. Before she could say anything, though, Adler was pulling her to the side. "You need to get out of here, Supergirl," Adler insisted.

"No-"

Adler was looking straight at her right now. "There's still Kryptonite in the area. We can't risk-"

"I don't care! _Alex is here_!" Kara told her. "Somewhere…"

"And the boss and I will find her-"

"I'm _not_ leaving!"

"Let her stay!" J'onn shouted from a distance. He was in full Martian Manhunter mode.

So, she had to stay back and Kara hadn't ever felt so helpless before. She had to stay where she was, away from any Kryptonite in the area. It was already affecting her, she could feel it. It wasn't enough to hurt her or to dampen her where she stood, but she could still feel it. The ground vibrated under her and she knew that Clark was behind her, that he'd returned, but she didn't dare look at him. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to control her rage...not after what he'd done.

Her eyes scanned the area. Concrete blocks were where they weren't supposed to be. Kara remembered the whole area looking differently and didn't understand why there was so much destruction. It was hard to stay in place, she watched as Harewood and Adler pulled another agent out of the rubble, her weight shifting forward. All she wanted to do, all her inner self was telling her to do...it was to help...to serve others...to protect them. Here she was, rooted in place, and unable to do anything.

She could just stand there, watching, and waiting…

" _Alex_ ," she gasped in panic. Worry was filling her, her x-ray vision wasn't turning up anything. All she could see was rubble and people looking when she couldn't look. Right now, she was counting the team that the DEO would have sent, minus Alex. It was then that she noticed that there was a different stance...a different look that J'onn was giving...and in her direction. It took her a moment to fully realize that it wasn't _her_ that J'onn was looking at, it was _behind_ her...it was her cousin.

"What. Did. You. Do. To. Alex?" came J'onn's booming voice. As Kara stared at her cousin, she could feel J'onn's echoing footfalls under her.

"Clark?" she questioned.

"You're looking in the wrong place," Clark told her. Kara couldn't believe her ears. His face hardened and he looked to J'onn. "You shouldn't have corrupted her. I told you all those years ago that Kryptonite was too dangerous to keep around...and then you equipped Alex with it. Worst of all, you made her think it was necessary!"

There was so much anger that was between all of them in that moment, but all Kara wanted was her sister back. "Where's Alex?" she whispered.

"You can't go there, Kara…"

"If Alex is there, I'm _going_ ," Kara told him sternly.

Clark looked like he didn't know how to take that. He was clearly concerned about her safety, but Kara didn't care...Alex was out there...and Kara didn't know if her sister was hurt or in danger. He pointed across to the parking structure across the street. "You'll find her there."

"I think you've been in my city a little too long," J'onn told Clark as he stalked closer.

"The Kryptonite, Kara," Clark tried to warn.

"I know you think you're just protecting your cousin, but I've been looking out for these girls more than you likely ever will," J'onn told him gruffly. He grabbed Kara and she didn't argue or fight. She wanted to say something to Clark, but she didn't know what was right to say...she was upset and confused. J'onn took off with them both before she could say anything else to her cousin. J'onn flew them to the parking structure and they both started to search the top level, unsure of what level she was actually on.

She could feel the Kryptonite affecting her and she stilled for a moment before doubling over. "We have to be close," Kara gasped.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Just find Alex," she said as she waved a hand forward. Kara didn't need to be fussed over. There were no illusions of this being easy on her, she didn't care. All she cared about was knowing that her sister was okay. After a moment, she managed to move in the direction that J'onn had gone, though trailing much slower behind him. This wasn't like when she'd trained at the DEO with the Kryptonite emitters at eighteen percent. No. This was something much more.

"Stay back, Kara!" J'onn shouted.

She couldn't see him, but stopped on his command for just a moment before taking another step. "Did you find, Alex?" she called. She kept moving and she suddenly was hit by a wave of pain and sickness that knocked her to her knees. Kara felt so weak that she wasn't sure that she could get herself back to her feet.

"Yes!" he called back a moment later. "The Kryptonite suit has been damaged and the rock is exposed. You can't be down here, Kara."

She didn't care. Pushing herself up, she found herself back on her knees a moment later and a groan escaping her lips. "Is she okay?!" Kara managed to push out.

"She's alive."

Alive.

Closing her eyes, she focused on her super hearing. All she wanted to do was to hear Alex. A heartbeat with a familiar beat was what she ended up fixating on. No familiar voice of her sister, though, and that scared her. She could hear J'onn talking quietly to Alex, though. He was trying to assure her that everything was going to be okay.

Snapping her eyes open, Kara was even more determined to get to her sister now. She shoved herself up and took two of the most excruciating steps.

"If I could turn grey, you two would be the culprits of it...not old age," J'onn said. He seemingly came out of nowhere and picked her up before she could hit the concrete structure floor again. J'onn dragged her backwards until she was propped up against the edge of that level on the clear other side of the structure. She watched as he tapped his comms. "Vasquez, we need an evac. Have medical sent and standing by at base."

Kara only worried more, but then took the steady heartbeat she could hear that belonged to her sister as a comfort.

"Adler, I need you and your team over here. We're going to need to clean up the scene over here. We've got crushed Kryptonite all over this level," J'onn said. He looked down at her now. "Alex's arm is broken. Medical will likely want to cut the suit off of her in order to get to her arm to properly treat it. That means that you have to stay back-"

"Turn it off-"

"It's not shielded, Kara-"

"I'm going to be at her side, J'onn-"

"Kara-"

" _No_! She's always there with me when something happens to me," Kara insisted. "I am _going_ to be by her side now. I don't care how much it hurts _me_. I have to be there _with_ her."

* * *

"You know, if you don't wake up soon I'm just going to start reading you 'Harry Potter'."

"Is that a threat?"

Kara turned to look over her shoulder to see J'onn once again checking in. He could use his powers to check on Alex from a distance, but Kara had a feeling that he really wanted to be right there at his bedside too...but the world kept turning and there was a lot of cleanup and a lot of explaining that had to be done right now. J'onn couldn't just stop doing his job and Kara knew that Alex wouldn't expect anyone to just stop and sit there with her (though Kara wasn't leaving).

"I am terrible at reading out loud," Kara told him with a small smile. "It used to drive Alex crazy when we were kids...even more so when I'd attempt accents… It's 'Harry Potter', so the whole book is an accent."

J'onn smirked at that, looked down, huffed, and then looked back up at her with his hands on his hips. "The doctors haven't found anything so far that says that Alex won't be okay."

"I don't think it's very good for her to keep breaking bones," Kara pointed out.

That immediately hit her with a sad punch to the gut. It was extremely sobering as she turned to look back at her sister. They'd had to cut her out of the Kryptonite exo-suit and had changed her into a blue hospital gown (which Kara knew Alex wouldn't appreciate when she woke). It was the only way to be able to get to her arm to properly examine it and look it over. It had actually required a pin, which made Kara sicker just thinking about it. J'onn had found her sister with a large piece of concrete pinning her arm down. The suit had protected Alex for the most part, but her arm was still broken.

"I broke Alex's arm last...and now-"

She couldn't even say it, Kara broke down crying at the thought. All she could think was that she'd brought her sister far too much pain in life. This time it hadn't been her, it had been Clark. Alex had been there to help and Kara knew that her sister wouldn't have ever thought twice about Clark hurting her.

"This is _my_ fault," she managed to get out as she looked back at him. "I-I should-I-"

"I shouldn't have _let_ Superman stay," J'onn said gruffly. "It's _my_ fault. I knew how he felt about Kryptonite. I should have _known_ that if I had to take it out into the field for _any_ reason...in _any_ form that he would have reacted badly…" He sighed and crouched down in front of her. J'onn pressed a kiss to her forehead and Kara gasped as the simple comforting gesture hit her equally as the sadness had moments before. It was like being forgiven, even though she hadn't completely forgiven herself. "It's my job...my honor to protect you _both_." He was quiet for a long beat. "I know that your cousin thought that he was protecting you...but he's dangerous in this city...and I _fear_ what he could have done to Alex if Kryptonite hadn't been exposed."

Kara didn't want to think about it.

Didn't want to think about the 'what ifs'.

Being Kryptonian, she knew exactly what her cousin was capable of and what that could mean for Alex because she'd almost killed her sister once before. "Hamilton said that we'll have to watch for a concussion…"

"Your sister has broken plenty of bones and suffered concussions in the past, Kara," J'onn told her gently. "She's going to be okay." He gave her shoulder a light squeeze before getting up. "I'll be back to check in on you both…"

She watched him go and didn't know if she was comforted or more upset about everything. Kara sat there, hunched forward, holding Alex's hand and trying to think of what to say. Sitting there silently didn't seem like it would help Alex, but maybe if she heard her voice...that's why Kara had been talking to her before. Sniffling, she wiped tears away and pulled in a shaky breath.

"Do you remember when we were little? It was my first Halloween," Kara said with a smile as she watched Alex's face for any indication of stirring. There was nothing. "I didn't understand it. You really had wanted to go to that Halloween party where they were going out as a group to all of these haunted houses, but Eliza had told you that you had to take me." She paused for a moment. "I pretended to be sick...but that didn't work well." Kara really smiled at the memory. "You know, you have always been more than a sister to me, more than a friend...I don't even have the word for it." She sucked in a breath. "You pulled me to your closet and we figured out costumes from pieces you had tucked away since you had gone back and forth that year about what you wanted to dress up as...and we both left dressed as...I don't even remember. You had a vision about it, but I'm fairly sure Eliza commented that it looked like a costume box just threw up all over us…"

"I was Mal...and you were Kaylee."

Kara's eyes immediately went to Alex, who then squeezed her hand. "From "Firefly'," she said. "But no one got it."

"That should have been an _immediate_ clue that we were far too superior for that school."

Laughter bubbled out of her and for a moment, she forgot why they were there as she stared into her sister's eyes. "Oh! Alex!" Kara breathed a breath later. All of her worries, upset, and anxiety welling back to the surface. She leaned in and immediately hugged Alex. "I was _so_ worried…"

"You shouldn't have been in the copter with the Kryptonite," Alex whispered. From the sound of her voice, Kara could tell that her sister was still not fully there. She'd been given painkillers and she'd been through alot, so it was more than understandable...Kara still worried though.

"Can you not worry over me for this _one_ time?"

"I'm serious, Kara...it could-"

"You could have _died_ , Alex!" she said as she pulled back from the hug and stared down at her sister. " _Clark_ could have killed you...and it would have killed _me_." Tears filled her eyes and her insides tightened. " _I can't lose you, Alex_. I need you...I can't-"

"Shh…" Alex whispered as she pulled Kara to her, hugging her one armed and running her hand in a soothing motion up and down her sister's back. "I'm _fine_. I'm sure it's nothing."

"Your arm is broken and you could have a concussion…"

"Do you know how many broken bones and concussions I've had since joining the DEO?" Alex asked far too calmly.

Maybe it was Alex's voice, how calmly she spoke...or maybe it was just the relief of her sister being awake, but Kara finally found herself letting some of what was killing her inside slip away. "I don't know if I want to know the answer…"

"A lot," Alex just told her. "It hasn't scared me off once...the only thing that's ever scared me in this job, Kara...is when I've almost lost you."

"Clark-"

"No, we're not talking about Clark. He and I...well, that's something that the two of us will have to discuss… It's not about you, even if biologically he's your cousin," Alex told her. She shifted in the small DEO medical bed to make room for Kara at her side, her good arm around her. "I can't be mad at him anyways…"

"Why?" Kara questioned. Though, she was fairly sure that J'onn was mad enough at Clark for the entire DEO over what had happened. What Alex was saying, though, didn't make sense to her. Clark had done something to hurt Alex and he'd done it intentionally.

"I never understood why he left you with us, why he wasn't more involved in your life, and eventually I realized...I didn't care...it didn't matter...I was the lucky one because I had you in my life, Kara," Alex told her gently. "And even without my parents reminding me how I was your older sister and how I needed to look out for year, I learned just how much I needed you in my life...and how I'd do anything to keep you safe… I'd do _anything_ to protect you."

"I thought we weren't talking about him?" she asked as she listened to Alex's heartbeat as she lay there with her.

She could hear Alex's smile in her words. "We're not. We're talking about how much _I_ love you."

"I love you too."

"You know _true_ love...friendship...sisters...family...all that...would be getting me out of here," Alex stated evenly.

"Your arm is broken."

"It'll heal."

"It's not even casted."

"Swelling has to go down, it's in a split. I'm good to go," Alex pushed.

Kara rolled over to stare at her sister. "Alex, you could have a concussion!"

"That's fine...I can be broken and concussed...at home…"

"Alex…"

"Come on, Kara… I want my own pajamas…"

"You have DEO issue-"

"Yeah, this gown is so not going to work for me," Alex said, irritation in her voice now. "I will find something else-"

"Black?"

"I really don't care at this point."

"Alex, you have to at least let Hamilton look at you...and J'onn-"

"We could watch movies together...curl up on the couch...I could sleep... _rest_...in my own bed," Alex pointed out quickly.

Kara was laughing now. "Okay...okay...I'll see if I can get them to come in here and clear you to go home." She sat up and was about to swing her legs over the side of the bed when Alex pulled her back (and Kara let her).

"Just stay with me for a few more minutes first?"

"Always."

They were quiet for a few minutes before Alex spoke up. "You know, it's been a long time since either of us dressed up for Halloween…"

"I dress up everyday," Kara teased with a laugh. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

Alex laughed now. "I suppose you do…"

"And sometimes you go undercover...that's sort of like a costume…"

"We should make more time for fun."

"The world should end less…"

"True."

"What are we binge watching during your recovery?" Kara questioned.

"What's in our queue?"

"There's superhero shows-"

"So, our everyday life? Pass...for now anyways…"

Kara pulled out her phone. "I was actually thinking we try out a show that hasn't even hit Netflix yet...though I don't know why it's not there yet."

"What is it?"

"'Wynonna Earp'."

"Like Wyatt Earp?"

Kara nodded.

"Sounds lame."

Kara immediately frowned at that. She started tapping at her phone screen in order to retrieve the trailer for the series. "At least watch the promo…"

"Okay, fair…" Alex said with a wave of her hand.

So, Kara started it. The audio filling the room with the voice of the Wynonna Earp character. "Some kids inherit money, others get talent… Me? Hm. I got a demon killing gun. Crazy runs in the family…"

Once the trailer was over, Kara excitedly waited for her sister's reaction, but it was flat. "Okay, sold...now get me out of here."

She eyed her for a long moment. "Do you _really_ want to see it or do you just think it's going to motivate me to get you out of here faster?"

"Does it matter?"

"Are we going to watch it?"

"And order in pizza."

"Then we're definitely getting you out of here…"

* * *

The End.


End file.
